Tears Such As Angels Weep
by IrishJade
Summary: Prologue only. Originally posted 06-12-02.


**Tears Such As Angels Weep**

By: IrishJade

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Star Trek, but I do own my characters. Please don't use them without my permission ! Please read and review !

No trees were harmed during the production of this fanfiction, however, a large number of electrons were seriously inconvenienced. 

* * * * * * * * * *

**Tears Such As Angels Weep - Prolouge**

* * * * * * * * * *

**_I can't stand to fly, I'm not that naïve.  
I'm just out to find, the better part of me._**

**_I'm more than a bird…I'm more than a plane,  
More than some pretty face beside a train._**

**_  
It's not easy to be me._**

****

**_I wish that I could cry, fall upon my knees.  
Find a way to lie about a home I'll never see._**

**_It may sound absurd, but don't be naïve.  
Even heroes have the right to bleed.  
I may be disturbed, but won't you concede ?  
Even heroes have the right to dream._**

**_  
It's not easy to be me._**

****

**_Up, up and away…away from me.  
It's all right, you can all sleep sound tonight.  
I'm not crazy, or anything…_**

**_I can't stand to fly, I'm not that naïve.  
Men weren't meant to ride with clouds between their knees._**

**_-- Superman, Five For Fighting_**

* * * * * * * * * *

- Flashback -

Smoke rose in copious quantities, making the bridge hazy. The red alert wailed through the dimness. The main viewer was offline, and her chair display was not working either. She stood, felt the ship list, and realized the internal dampers were offline. Through the smoke, she could see the vague forms of officers lying unconscious on the carpeted floor; her stomach churned. 

"Damage report !" she half-called, half-coughed, the smoke burning her eyes and the back of her throat. There was a long pause, and for a moment, she wondered if there was anyone left to give such a response. Then, amid raspy breathing, she heard the familiar and welcome voice of Lt. Callser say, "Shields at 14% ! We'll lose them with another hit, Commander."

"Propulsion ? Weapons ? Communications ?"

"Offline, Commander ! We're dead in the water. Life support holding steady, but the gravitational --"

"Are failing, I noticed. Get those up first, we can't repair if we can't walk."

Others were rousing from their prone positions, binding injuries with material torn from their uniforms. She felt proud of the crew; even in the most dire situations, they were trained officers and it showed.

"They stopped shooting at us." A young ensign said in surprise, sliding into his chair.

"We're probably not much of a threat right now." Answered the tactical officer, rubbing his neck where he'd been burned by a sparking conduit.

She felt through the grimy darkness until she found the Captain, hauled him up and set him in his chair. "Captain, wake up." she said. He had a deep cut on his right temple but it was hardly life-threatening. He groaned and opened his eyes.

"Status." He croaked immediately.

"Dead in the water, according to Lt. Callser." The Commander said, "Shields at minimal, ship-wide communications are down, along with weapons, propulsion, and grav --" 

Everyone settled firmly back to the deck. "Never mind, gravity plating seems to be functioning again." She said. 

"Casualty reports ?"

"Nothing yet, sir."

- End Flashback -

* * * * * * * * * *

Her commbadge chirped at her, interrupting her thoughts, and she tapped it gently. "Go ahead." 

"Commodore, we're entering into the station's long range sensors." The tactical officer's voice answered across the line.

"Thank you, Soyerna. Notify me when we enter visual range."

"Aye-aye."

* * * * * * * * * *

- Flashback -

Casualty reports came flooding in as soon as the Communications grid came back online. Decks 7 through 18 had taken heavy damage, and the mess hall had been converted into a secondary Sickbay for those unable to make it to the lower decks. The crew had pulled together admirably, and in record time, they had weapons up again. 

"Target the enemy."

"Sir, what about propulsion ?" Questioned the Lt. at the helm. 

"No time. Do we have torpedoes and phasers ?"

"Aye, Captain !"

"Lock on and fire a full spread !"

Abruptly, the ship was a threat again, and the massive, silent adversary turned their way again. The ship rocked and shuddered again. "Shields at 48% ! 32 % !"

"Keep firing !"

The tactical officer kept the bridge informed of the shield's status, but it sounded more like a death-knell than a report. "28 % ... 20% !"

"Order the crew to the lifepods." The Commander said, and the order was issued over the still-shaky Comm lines. Their opponent was taking damage as well, but nowhere near what the ship was suffering beneath the warfare gale.

"15 % ! 6 % ! Shields are gone ! Hull integrity at critical !"

"Make sure the crew abandons ship !" the captain cried over the commotion. "Launch the lifepods as soon as they're full. I'll keep the ship together. Go with the bridge crew, Commander, make sure they get off safely."

"But Captain !"

"GO !" He roared, as the bridge crew was already hurrying for the exits. They were nearly terrified... had they not watched the so recent destruction of many other ships, so like this one ?

"Aye-aye, Captain." The Commander acknowledged. Her first duty was to the crew... always to the crew... they needed her.

- End Flashback -

* * * * * * * * * *

"Commodore, we've entered visual range of the station." Soyerna informed her commanding officer, about half an hour later. The Commodore took her seat at the head of the 'bridge' and nodded.

"Drop out of warp and alert to the crew to prepare for re-integration. Let's give them a sight they'll not soon forget."

"Aye-aye, Commodore." The tactical officer said crisply, and issued the commands over the Comm system. Standard gold lights flashed on and bathed the bridge in molten glow.

* * * * * * * * * *

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
